


Partners

by soft_angel



Category: Hitman (Video Games), Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gunshot Wounds, Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Running Away, Tags still on the works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22245601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_angel/pseuds/soft_angel
Summary: Set right after the ending of the movie. 47 and Katia are hiding from the ICA in a shitty motel and she helps him take care of his wound. As the night progresses, they both have to decide what their next step will be.
Relationships: Agent 47 & Katia van Dees, Agent 47/Katia van Dees
Comments: 19
Kudos: 34





	1. Decisions

**Author's Note:**

> Back again! Rewatched this movie again last night and it kept bugging me that I had to write a fic about my beautiful OTP, especially seeing as there are like, zero romantic fics about them. Naturally, I had to do something.

After getting rid of 48, they moved quickly down the building, getting out as fast as they could to put distance between them and their pursuers. 47 was sure Diana wouldn't take long to send more after them, if she hadn't already. 

They needed to get out of Singapore immediately, but they were both exhausted and, even with his genetically enhanced stamina, 47 had still taken a bullet to save Katia's life.

As soon as they were out of the building he started explaining his plan to her. They would find someplace to hide for tonight, and first thing tomorrow they would book tickets to somewhere far from here. Somewhere where they could plan their next step in order to make it impossible for the ICA to track them down. 

"No fucking way!" she shouted in protest as she hurried to keep up with his pace, earning inquisitive looks from several passersby. 

"We're taking you to the hospital! You're wounded, you're in need for medical treatment!"

He sighed, keeping his eyes straight ahead, "I'll be fine, Katia. I can take the bullet out myself and I'll heal in no time."

Outrageous. How on Earth could he remain this calm with a bullet stuck in his body, she didn't know. But it sure did make her furious how insensitive he was to such a serious injury. He wasn't immortal, for God's sake!

"It's not the same thing, you could get an infection! You must see a doctor, 47, it's important-"

He sharply turned around, so fast she almost crashed against his chest, but he steadied her, grabbed her by her arms.

"Listen to me, Katia."

His eyes were intense, his voice serious but less composed now. They were attracting attention to them and they didn't want that.

"We don't have time for this. Diana has sent her men after us and we need to find somewhere to hide before they manage to detect us."

He was shaking her, trying to make her realize how critical the little time they had available was to reach safety.

"Appearing at any public place right now would mean our death, more so a hospital. Do you understand?"

All protest about to come out of her mouth vanished. She kept silent but nodded, knowing he was right. In her worry for his wellbeing she hadn't thought about that. Ironic, if you think that mere minutes ago she had a gun aimed at his face.

"Good. Trust me when I say I can make it. All will be okay."

She highly doubted that, but chose not to reply. He let her go as quickly as he had caught her and continued his way. Once again, she scurried to match his long strides, following him as he rounded the next corner.

They managed to find a taxi and 47 requested that the man take them to some motel. Not that they couldn't afford something better, but it would be easier for them to stay under the radar that way.

The driver couldn't help but glance at them a handful of times, taking in their disheveled looks. There was still blood on 47's face and head coming from minor injuries. Thankfully, obviously deciding it was to his best interest, he didn't ask any questions regarding them and Katia silently thanked the man.

The ride to the motel was quiet, the only noises coming from the buzzing world outside. Cars, people, bars coming alive in the night under bright neon lights. Katia would even come to think of the city as beautiful, had it not been a place that from now on would haunt her dreams.

When they finally arrived at the motel, it was the clerk's turn to give them strange looks.

"Are you two alright?" he asked, suspiciously looking at them with drawn eyebrows through his glasses.

"We're fine, thank you." came 47's instant reply, in his usual emotionless tone. "We need a room, two single beds."

She turned to face him, but he ignored her. She was hoping for some personal space and segregation from his watchful eye to deal with the situation herself, without him observing every little move she made.

"None available." said the old man idly, with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"A double bed will do, then." was 47's answer.

 _Great_. She clenched her fists and bit her tongue to keep from objecting. 

The clerk gave them the key and indifferently wished them a goodnight as they ascended the stairs to find their room.

47 unlocked the door and made way for her to step in first. "We could have gotten two separate rooms, you know." she remarked, irritated.

"We need to stay close." he explained as he locked the door behind them again.

"Men from the ICA could find us any minute. We should be able to defend ourselves if that happens, and we'll do that better if we stick together. "

She had to admit he was right.

"Fine," she huffed "but I'm taking the bed!"

A faint smirk graced his lips, barely there "As you wish, princess."

"Look at that! Mister frosty-ass cracking a joke! I can die in peace now!" she joked, fascinated to learn he actually had the ability to smile. Sort of.

He didn't say anything but she saw him smirk again. Incredible. 

"What a shithole." she mumbled as she took the room in and set their bags down. They were only able to carry some basic things like money, clothes, gear and gadgets 47 needed.

"Patience." he sighed out. "It's only for one night."

A light pant of discomfort coming from 47 drew her attention back to him. He was already shrugging his coat off and, seeing his blood stained dress shirt, she abruptly remembered his wound again.

"Let me help you with that. I'm gonna go wash my hands and I'll be right back." she said as she made her way to the bathroom.

She looked around the small space for a first-aid kit. There had to be one somewhere there, no matter how shitty this godforsaken place was.

She finally found her treasure box along with an old box full of sewing supplies that would come in handy. Surprising.

After thoroughly washing her hands and rubbing some alchohol over them, she went back to 47's side. He had removed his shirt and she could freely see the bullet hole adorning the side of his back.

"Let me see that."

"You don't have to. I can take care of it myself." he rejected with a shake of his head. "Give me the kit."

"No. I want to help you. And don't be fucking stupid because you couldn't possibly reach that far back unless you want to worsen the damage. You need help. So stop rejecting it. Now, let me see it."

Why was he being so fucking stubborn?

He sighed heavily through his nostrils but complied with her wish. She brought a nearby chair next to the bed and motioned for him to sit. He sat facing its back, so she could have a better look.

As she examined the wound she got anxious. Anxious and so very frightened. The bullet wasn't deep enough to kill him but still, she had never done this before.

What if she couldn't do it? What if she messed this up? What if she ended up pushing the bullet further inside, resulting in hurting him worse? She audibly swallowed and started by cleansing the surrounding skin with some Betadine that she poured on a piece of cotton. 

"I'm gonna take the bullet out now." she stated but it was obvious she was unsure of whether she would make it and she internally cursed herself for being so afraid. There was no time for that now.

He breathed in deeply, surely doubtful of what she was going to do, but remained silent.

To take the bullet out, she would use a pair of tweezers. She grabbed it with a shaky hand and paused to take in a deep breath and steady herself. She hesitated. 

"Katia" her name came quietly out of his lips. She raised her eyes to meet his and was surprised to see that they weren't steely nor cold as she was used to seeing them.

They were soft and gentle and she found herself struck by how much more handsome he looked when he wasn't acting all solemn and distant. It was strange. She never thought he was able to look like this. It confused but also endeared her.

"Trust yourself." his voice snapped her out of her thoughts "You can do this. Calm down and just focus." he earnestly encouraged her.

He held her gaze, intense and she couldn't look away. Why was she being like this? She had to return to the task at hand. She needed to concentrate. She could do this. So she nodded and turned to his injured back. 

With a deep breath, she dug into the wound. He immediately flinched away from her with a pained hiss but steadied himself so she could work properly.

"I'm sorry. It can't be done otherwise."

"It's okay." he reassured her but she knew it wasn't. He had taken a bullet to save her life. If only she hadn't been so distracted. _Such an idiot_.

She put her best into it to be as gentle as possible. His pain was evident though, hands gripping the back of the chair so forcefully his knuckles had turned white. She bit her lip, feeling bad for him as this was her fault.

Thank God she had stopped taking her sleeping pills. As she got the grip of it, her movements became quick and meticulous and, finally, she managed to take the god damned thing out of him.

He let out a shaky breath, and took another one in, relaxing his muscles, relief etched in his features as she dropped the bullet into a paper handkerchief waiting open.

"There you go!" she sighed, satisfied with herself for succeeding to pull that off.

"Well done." came his reply, voice calm again but with a hint of what she swore was mirth in it.

"Alright, now I'm gonna stitch you up and we're done."

Thankfully, Katia was better at sewing than she was at removing bullets from bodies, but alas, it still hurt. Though her stitches were done precisely and swiftly, she could still hear him letting out pained huffs.

"Patience, almost done." she tried to comfort him, eyes sharp on her work.

When finished at last, she rigorously cleaned the wound again and wrapped some bandages around his torso.

"Done. Now let's take care of your face." she said as she moved to stand in front of him, taking the kit with her.

"You really don't have to-"

"47" she interrupted his protest. She hated that name. If you could call it that.

"I want to do this. It's the least I can do.. you _did_ take a bullet for me." she murmured softly as she began cleaning his face.

He studied her for a moment. 

"Thank you." was his genuine answer.

"No." she looked into his eyes, "Thank _you_." she said, offering him a small smile.

They held each other's gaze for what felt like eons to her, searching for what, she didn't know, until it was too much for Katia and she returned to tending to his gashes. 

He hissed when the rubbing alcohol came into contact with a particularly deep cut on the right side of his forehead.

"Sorry for that." she apologized, lightly touching his skin so as to inspect it. 47 stiffened under her fingertips and, seeing that, she removed them at once, cheeks aflame with shame.

She knew he wasn't used to affectionate human contact. She doubted he had ever experienced it at all. Thus, he wasn't comfortable with it. She hated it. What he was. What they had made him into. No one deserves to be treated like a disposable _thing_. To be given a number for a name.

Gratefully, he once again didn't say anything but his eyes remained trained on her. Her face, her movements. He was trying to read into her, she realized.

She panicked, thinking he surely must have noticed her blush. But she tried to calm her nerves, tried to ignore him, her eyes fixed on his scrapes instead. She wished she could read his mind.

Since when was his presence putting her on edge? And why? They were close. Far too close for her -and she was certain, his too- liking. To the point where she could feel his breath fan her face.

With a final wipe of the piece of cotton she was holding, she concluded her work and briskly moved away from him so that he didn't have the time to catch up on her distress. 

"All done. Alright, I'm gonna have a shower and get ready for bed. I'm fucking beat." _Quite literally_.

She didn't wait for his response, rushing to shut herself in the bathroom. She closed the door, resting her head against it and sighed. After locking it, she started stripping down, ready to step into the shower stall.

It wasn't like she believed he would burst into the room while she was taking her bath, but it added a bit to the illusion of personal space she craved. She turned on the faucet, letting the hot water flow over her body. It did wonders for her sore muscles.

Here, out of 47's observant gaze, she let her earlier thoughts swarm freely into her mind as she worked the shampoo through her hair.

She didn't understand. When did she start feeling nervous around him? Before she sassed him, all clever comebacks and snarky retorts. And from the moment she sat down to help him, she wasn't even able to look away from his eyes.

She was fully aware of their proximity the entire time she took care of him. Did it have something to do with how sheepish she felt? Certainly. And that look in his eyes? Her face was burning up and she felt like such an idiot for that. Had she so suddenly started seeing him differently?

She couldn't deny it. He was handsome. She thought of the blue of his eyes, resembling the sky. His strong jawline, his lean but well built frame. His sturdy muscles, rippling under her hands...

Shaking her head, she tried to push away those thoughts, lathering her skin with a good amount of body wash. Two hours ago she swore she was ready to kill him. For leaving her father behind, for providing him with the weapon of his death, for all the things he said to her, for fucking drugging her..

And yet, she didn't want to harm him. Not one bit. He did what he believed was right to do. He did what she would have done, were she in his shoes. He was only trying to protect her. Hell, he took a fucking bullet for her.

And, as she made her contemplations, she realized that this was it. The thing that made her regard him in a completely different way. He didn't think about himself when he did it. He only thought about her. He could have _died_. But he threw himself in front of her regardless. And she was moved. 

That rumination, however, also made her feel like a moron. Like she was overreacting, like this shouldn't be a reason for him to be flooding her thoughts like he currently was, because they were in this together and they were supposed to have each other's back. They were partners. 

But, somewhere in her head, Katia knew that this was a big deal to her. It wasn't everyday people jumped to their death to save her life. And maybe her thoughts were based on some silly notion that chivalry isn't dead yet. Maybe they were based on her desperate need to be loved by someone and she thought she found that in 47, after what could have been his sacrifice. 

Or maybe based on the fact that such an act came from him. Someone raised and trained specifically to become an assassin. To kill. Someone with a mission and a target, one that was _her_. He was sent to kill her. But he had chosen against it. He had been selfless enough to put his life on the line for her, even though he hardly knew her.

 _Because she meant something to him_.

At the seer thought of it, Katia shivered.

 _"Your brother"_ , she remembered her father telling her the day they reunited. It felt so long ago.

She wasn't sure what her feelings towards him were. Judging by her earlier thoughts, she doubted they were sisterly. But that didn't matter. They were something. They were _connected_.

And Katia realized that, for the first time in her life, she too had found someone that meant something to her. It wasn't just that 47 was the closest thing to home she had had since forever, or that he was the last string attaching her to her past.

It was that, even in this little time they spent together, he had come to be someone she cared about. She had truly come to care for 47, no matter how angry she had been at him for everything his presence in her life had brought upon her. For years she had been all alone, isolating herself from people, chasing after an unknown to her man, only to find out he was her father and be dragged through Hell afterwards. 

Nonetheless, he had proved, tonight more than ever, that he would protect her at all cost, something no one else had ever done for her, except for her father. And for that, she was grateful.

47 had deserted the ICA. His actions, letting her live, had rendered the opposite impossible. It wouldn't be easy. They would hunt them down.

She didn't care. She was tired of being alone. At least her life had now a new meaning. She had a chance to escape loneliness. To live, not just exist, even if it meant her death. Her adventure and near-death experiences of the past few days had opened her eyes.. For the first time in a long time, Katia felt _alive_.

Besides, even if she did choose to abandon 47 and try to make a life somewhere far away, she was sure they would still look for her. Not just men from the ICA, but also people like LeClerq. Like John. And, eventually, they would find her.

Better with 47 and running for her life than all alone, back to her dreary, miserable life, waiting to be found and killed... No, she wouldn't let this go. She couldn't. By the time she got out of the shower, Katia had made her choice.

She quickly toweled off and got dressed in some casual clothes she had brought. She was ready to announce her decision to 47.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, especially towards the end, with Katia's contemplations, I wanted to explore her thoughts and feelings, not only about 47 but also about her life prior to the movie. I wanted to study her character, who she was before she became a badass throughout the events of the film. We saw her in the beginning as this weak, anxious little girl who needed her pills to sleep, only for her to transform into a strong, versatile woman who knows how to get what she wants. She had a great potential.
> 
> Focusing on 47, I wanted to highlight the fact that this man, who was assigned to kill her, diverged from his orders and ended up risking his life to save hers, which I think is a key change in their dynamic. I wanted her to realize this, to realize that he actually cares for her and so to kinda start their romance going. Because if someone took a bullet for me, I would totally fall in love with them, tbh. Anyway, hope I'm not too tiring with my thoughts here, lol. 
> 
> PS. I'm telling you, if I had such epiphanies when taking showers, my life wouldn't be nearly half of the mess it currently is!


	2. Bedtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I feel strangely productive for a person who ignored homework to finish a fic she's been writing for like, over a month, lol

Katia shut herself in the bathroom and 47 was left alone, staring after her at the door.

 _Locked_ , he mentally noted as he heard the familiar sound.

Did she really not trust him after everything they'd been through together? After tonight?

No, he decided. Her actions and overall behavior tonight told him otherwise. That couldn't have been the reason why she did it.

Not since she was so kind to him and helped him take care of his injuries. Without her assistance, he would still be trying to remove the damn thing, and would admittedly be in much more pain.

And what was that?

It was so strange. She had been so close. He could see even the smallest of freckles on her face, every shade of green that made up her iris. He didn't remember ever being this close to a person he didn't intend to kill.

And she was blushing the whole time. He'd never seen her blush before. She was nervous, that much he could tell. 

What was all that supposed to mean? If only he had a better understanding of women... But then again, Katia wasn't like other women. Not to him at least. She was strong and a fighter, if he'd ever seen one. And their recent escapade had made her realize it. She just had to accept it. 

A sudden growl coming from his stomach pulled him out of his thoughts. When was the last time he ate anything? When was the last time Katia did?

Without thinking twice he got up from his chair and put on his dirty coat. He turned to look at the bathroom door once again. It seemed Katia would spend some time in there. And she truly needed it, anyway. 

Grabbing the keys and some money, he got out of the room and locked the door. He hoped Katia wouldn't be out of the bathroom before he was back, lest he caused her to have more trust issues.

47 descended the stairs and reached the lobby. He had thought to order something from the kitchen but, on a second thought, he would prefer not to get a food poisoning whilst running for his life. They both already had enough problems. 

Ultimately, he decided to take a look around the area, search for a place selling actual food. He didn't really expect to find something of quality in such a district, but hope dies last. When did he start believing in hope?

It was difficult for him to move quickly right now as he was in pain, so he was very glad he found a small convenience store a little further down from the motel. 

He acted cool, his typical cold mask on, only it was a bit harder to stay unnoticed in a dirty three-piece suit with cuts on his face and a barely-hidden bloody dress shirt.

He opted to choose packaged sandwiches for dinner, as it was the only thing he could trust for them to eat. He also took two bottles of water and two packs of painkillers and brought them to the counter. Those should do for now.

To his luck, the cashier didn't seem to notice anything unusual about him. 47 could bet the man had seen worse things around here than some man with scratches on his face.

He paid for the goods and swiftly went away, hurrying to get back to the motel. It was already too dangerous to wander around in their current state, and besides, he didn't want to leave Katia alone for more time than needed.

Not that she couldn't defend herself, the woman was a damn tornado, but he actually didn't want to be away from her, a feeling that fairly confused him a lot.

He was relieved to see that she was still in the bathroom when he returned, albeit the water wasn't running anymore. Just in time.

He took advantage of her absence and changed into some comfortable, casual clothes that he had brought, a white undershirt and black sweatpants. He winced as he put his arms through the holes, the movements stretching his stitches.

He remembered the painkillers and popped two in his mouth, swallowing them dry. This should help him feel a little better. At this point, his body was practically screaming at him to finally lie down and get some rest. He had decided to actually lie down to sleep, just this once, given his current physical condition, and that's what he intended to do, when he recalled the fact that he had to prepare his makeshift bed in order to do so.

Katia had said, after all, that she would take the bed, and he was pretty sure she wouldn't be comfortable enough to share it with him. On a second thought, he wasn't comfortable with that either.

He still couldn't comprehend these newfound feelings she was causing him to have and why it was happening. This wasn't the time to do that, anyway. He had to be collected right now.

He took one of the two blankets that covered the bed and started fixing his "bed", pain biting at his back with every move. He was halfway through his task when she opened the door and his head instinctively snapped up to look at her.

"Now, that was quite refreshing.." she started saying but she trailed off when she noticed what he was doing. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"Um," he started, getting up from his bending position to adjust the blanket, "I'm... making my bed?" He wasn't sure what the problem was. "You said you wanted the bed."

"What, and you _actually_ thought I'd let you sleep on the floor?" she asked with an incredulous look on her face. He didn't quite know what to answer to that. Apparently, she didn't mean what she said before.

"Really, 47?" she asked when he remained silent. "You'd think after all the trouble I got into to get that bullet out of you, I'd at least make sure you slept on the bed."

"Well, I thought you would need some space."

She sighed, smiling tiredly. "You really need to learn how to take a joke, Terminator." she said, shaking her head as she walked up to him, picked up the blanket and draped it back over the bed.

"Now get your ass over here." she finally called to him, climbing up onto the queen sized bed.

He hesitated, disbelieving what he'd just heard. She was okay with sharing a bed with him? Was he? He took a deep breath and he tried not to think about the fact that not only was he going to sleep in the same bed with another person, but also that said person was Katia.

 _It's only for a night_ , he reminded himself. And, truthfully, his body needed all the rest it could get. The better the rest, the faster he would heal. Moving towards the bed, he heeded her appearance.

She was wearing an olive green athletic top and a grey pair of sleep shorts. Her hair was still wet on her shoulders, dampening the fabric of her top.

"You'll catch a cold." was his first thought and it came out before he could stop it. Great. He _had_ to go and sound like a considered dad.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at his remark and let out an adorable little giggle, amusement etched on her features. His heart skipped a beat. He wasn't aware it was able to do that. 

"Well, they don't even seem to have a hairdryer here, so.." she said gesturing behind her back with her thumb, "guess I'll have to hope I don't."

"Hm." was his only response, acutely aware of the blood rushing up his face.

She bit her lip, "Thanks for looking out for my health, though." she said as she got under the covers.

"Sure." he answered as he joined her in.

Suddenly he heard a familiar growling sound coming from Katia's stomach and remembered the food he had brought.

"Here. I got us something to eat." he said as he reached over to grab the bag from the floor next to the bed, where he'd left it.

He placed it on the bed, in front of a confused Katia. Slowly, she opened the plastic bag and fished a packaged sandwich, peaking inside to see what else he'd gotten.

"When did you get these?" she asked dumbfoundedly as it dawned on her. "You went out alone?" she asked looking up at him again, worry evident in her face and voice.

Was she really that concerned about him? No one had ever really been. The thought caused a warm feeling to nest in his stomach, but he didn't let it show.

"What were you thinking?" she asked aggravated. 

"We both need to eat something. We need to be at our peak if we want to stay safe and an empty stomach isn't much help." 47 reasoned but she shook her head at him.

"No, 47, it's too dangerous." she sat up to face him better. "You're wounded, had they found you, you'd have been too easy to-"

"But they didn't." he cut her off with his cold tone and a glare. He only had her best interest in mind and that's what he was getting? Did she really think he couldn't take care of himself? Unfortunately enough, he had been raised accordingly.

She stopped talking immediately, seeing his irritation. Her head lowered in embarrassment and disappointment, eyes cast down to the sandwich in her hands.

The atmosphere between them had changed in an instant and he cursed at the tension being on the run caused which was getting the best of both of them. 

He gave her a side-glance and her expression tagged at his heartstrings, making him feel bad for snapping at her. He shouldn't have spoken to her so brusquely, she was worried for his wellbeing after all, she meant well. Had he been in her shoes, he would have reacted the same. Or worse. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's fine." Katia reassured him and he went silent. "It's just- I.." she was still looking down, fingers fumbling with the package. "Look, I know you're perfectly capable of looking out for yourself.. but" she paused again, breathing deeply, presumably to put her thoughts in order.

"I just need you to stay alive." she whispered, voice fragile, eyes finally meeting his, which were closely studying her face. "You're all I have left now."

Tears were sparkling in her eyes, intensifying their cool green hue and he believed it was the first time he thought of something as "stunning". He felt his stomach flutter, another thing happening to him that he couldn't understand.

47 was taken aback by her words, by the fact that this woman, whom he had essentially known so little but had already been through so much with, the woman whom he had put through Hell, who had lost her father partly because of him, who had once -no, thrice- threatened to kill him, was letting such words come out of her mouth.

"If I lost you too, I.."

She was telling him that he was important to her, that she wanted him in her life. He blinked, trying to register her words, and was barely able to think to calm her down, to interrupt these terrible thoughts of hers.

"Hey.." he whispered, cupping her cheek in his palm in an attempt to soothe her. It was an instinctive motion, as unexpected by him as it was by her. Still, she stayed motionless and sniffled, her now wide eyes staring at his and his heartbeat sped up a little. Shit.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here. Besides, I'm not that easy to kill." he said, his words a nod to the fist time she had threatened to kill him.

Katia was silently studying his face when it brightened a bit at his choice of words, and she snorted out a small laugh. He was glad he could at least make happen. She had been through so much. They both had but the difference was he's used to it, that was his life. For her, it was an exceedance. He didn't expect it but her smile caused his to appear too.

She was so close again. Only this time he didn't feel that uneasy. Maybe it was her earlier words, maybe the strange warmth coiling in his heart at this so new to him human contact or maybe it was the look in her eyes, one that obliged him to stay unmoving and near her. Maybe it was a little bit of everything. 

"Katia, I promise you, I won't leave your side until I make sure you're safe and out of their reach. And even then, not until you ask me to. I give you my word."

And he meant every word coming out of his mouth. He was going to get her out of this dangerous game. He was ready to give his life for hers if he had to. Ironic how a trained assassin was willing to give everything up for someone else. Someone whom he was supposed to kill in the first place, no less. How the tables had turned.

He wondered if she felt it too. This feeling of belonging that frightened him so much. This connection between them, an indescribable one. Her hand came to rest over his on her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

The damn eye contact again. 

"What if I don't want you to?" she whispered. 

He blinked and then a soft sigh escaped his mouth. "You know it's not safe for you to follow me." it was with a heavy heart that he uttered the words.

Strangely enough, he wanted nothing more than to be with her, especially right now. But it was too dangerous for her.

"And what am I supposed to do?" she asked, voice louder as she removed his hand from where it rested. "Go back to where I was? Leave you to continue all alone? Forget everything?"

"Katia, my priority right now is to keep you safe. If you're with me, it'll be easier for them to get to you. You know they will stop at nothing to end you, they'll come for you and I-"

"I know that!" she half-shouted, looking desperate. Taking his hands in hers, she proceeded to explain to him her earlier thoughts. 

"I can't go back to my old life. I don't want to! I've come so far. We both have. Your unforeseen invasion in my life helped me not only learn how to defend myself, but literally wake up, find out who I really am! I'm not a scared little girl anymore! I can defend myself as you taught me and I'm ready!"

She was intensely nodding her head along with her words in emphasis, eyes wide and hands clutching his, hard. And she was right. She had changed a lot since he had met her, in this short amount of time. He had no doubt about her skills and capability, but still...

"And you." she continued, voice lower once again. "You've changed too. You've become more... human. I see it, in the way you speak, in your expressions. You literally smiled twice tonight. You tried to comfort me moments ago! You took a fucking bullet for me!" her voice was louder once again, thick with emotion. "Try and tell me you've done this before. I know you'd be lying."

Yet again, Katia was right. Truth was he had never cared about anyone else other than himself. It's the way he was raised. Not until he met her, that is. She was different. 47 couldn't exactly pinpoint the moment when he decided he would let no man hurt this woman, but somewhere along the way, he had decided she was important. Important to him.

"Don't you see it?" she swallowed, her face unbearably close to his again. He almost flinched away. Almost. "You need me as much as I need you. We're one and the same. In a way, we complete each other." she said the words slowly, as if to give him time to register them, and he noticed her cheeks were aflame once more.

His pulse was thumping in his ears, heart drumming and, for the first time in his life, 47 couldn't think straight, his emotions blocking his line of reasoning. 

But he knew one thing for certain, and Katia's words only ensured it further. She wasn't going anywhere. Letting her go be damned. He was more than enough capable of protecting them both. And so was she. No one would hurt her. Not so long as he was alive.

"Please. Say yes." he was back at staring at her face and moved his mouth to speak but found it difficult to form a coherent sentence. 

He slightly nodded his head. "Okay." he was finally able to get out.

She went silent for a moment, blinking as if she didn't understand. And then the brightest smile he had seen spread across her face and before he realized it, Katia had fallen forward into 47's arms, hugging him so hard she actually hurt his wound.

He involuntarily let out a groan in both pain and confusion and she quickly pulled away.

"I'm sorry!" she said a bit embarrassed but also excited.

47 huffed out the tiniest of laughs at her reaction, astounding not only Katia but himself as well, and her now gleaming gaze met his once again.

"What was that just now? Did you just laugh?" she asked with an disbelieving and amused tone, pointing a finger at him.

He rolled his eyes at her childishness but he couldn't suppress his grin quickly enough.

"See, I was right!" Katia exclaimed, with a gleeful expression, mixed with satisfaction at the fact that she proved herself to be true. "What's next, singing?" she let out a small giggle, undoubtedly making her suggestion an image in her head.

"Okay, okay now." the woman was truly something else but he already felt overwhelmed from tonight's events, including their interactions. "I've had enough of you being a smartass tonight. Eat your sandwich and we'll look over everything tomorrow. For now, we both need to rest."

She sighed but complied to his words, her smile not fading just yet, illuminating her beautiful albeit a little worn out face.

"Alright, you're right, I guess. And hey, thanks for this." she told him, raising her hand that was holding the package. 

"Of course." 47 simply answered. 

"I hope you didn't get your ass into a lot of trouble to find them." she asked playfully with a grin on her face as she took a bite.

"Not really." 47 said as he opened his, her grin contagious. He kept his eyes on his food but from his peripheral vision he did catch her staring. 

She didn't say anything though. They ate their food in a surprisingly not so uncomfortable silence and, when finished, they finally lay down to bed. 47 made sure his Silverballers were full and placed them both on his bedside table.

Katia twisted and turned for a few moments until she found what seemed like the perfect spot on the bed, curled up in fetus position, her back facing him.

"Goodnight, 47." she mumbled and, shortly after, he heard her soft snoring.

"Goodnight, Katia." he whispered back softly, so as to not disturb her slumber.

Since the bed was far more comfortable than the floor, needing to stay alert, 47 decided to remain in a sitting position on the bed, back resting against the headboard. It didn't feel quite right to him, lying down, especially on a bed.

He was worried he would relax far too much on such a soft surface, and if anyone were to come in on them during the night, he didn't want to risk their safety. Normally, he would prefer to sleep on a couch, or at least an armchair, to be easier for him to stay alert.

His eyes darted to the chair he was previously sitting on. It looked fairly rigid and uncomfortable to sleep on, even for him and, admittedly, he was currently in pain. After worrying his tired mind for a few more moments, he ultimately decided to stay in bed.

He was almost certain they were safe for tonight, no one would look for them at such a rathole. Besides, he really did need to sleep, to heal faster and regain his strength. He finally decided to let his bedside lamp on, so he'd sleep lighter and wake up easily any moment.

47 closed his eyes, trying to relax and fall asleep, but it seemed sleep wouldn't be in his favour tonight. His mind kept playing back tonight's moments he had had with the sleeping woman next to him.

Her words were still ringing in his ears.

_"You need me as much as I need you."_

He thought them over. Like Katia had changed since they met, so had he. She had influenced him, in a way. Tonight, he had established that. His feelings were stronger, more evident when he was with her. It was as if he had... softened. And it was so new to him, he didn't know how to feel about it.

He wasn't used to anyone worrying about him, or being taken care of, or being _hugged_. Things like these, normalities for others, were luxuries he could only imagine, and that only when he was younger. As the years passed, he had come to look down on such thoughts, burying the human need for comfort and warmth deep under indifference and disdain.

Katia, seemed to have caused that need to resurface. All these years spent trying to suppress any kind of affectionate feeling -or need for affection, thereof- he may have experienced, thrown out the window, just like that. That fact upset 47 but also made him further realize how special she was to him. For some inexplicable reason.

With her, he'd grown a little more normal. And he feared, if their paths parted, he would soon be longing for the little scrapes of care Katia had shown him. It would be hard for him to let her go now, he wasn't ready. Ironically, he of all people. Somehow he knew, if he let her, Katia would really stay, she could even...

love him?

What a impossible thought.

It sounded improbable that someone could ever love him. After everything he'd done. He looked over at Katia's sleeping form and an unexpected sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe she'd be able to overlook his past and accept him for who he was came to nest in his heart.

She had insisted they completed each other. Maybe they did. Still, he felt like he was being unrealistic, like he was asking more than she would probably give.

Suddenly, he felt Katia stir beside him, trembling, as she curled further into herself. Damn it, he told her she'd catch a cold in these clothes. Slowly, so as not to wake her, 47 pulled the blankets further up her body to warm her. She seemed better now.

Acknowledging the fact that he had become attached to her terrified him, and that was an emotion he wasn't used to feeling. Of course, 47 had never been attached to anyone else in the past. He was but an assassin, raised with no mercy, no emotion, no need for love. Just like a robot. He did his job as he was told, get in, get out, get it over with. Still, he wasn't a robot. Even though genetically engineered, he was human.

He never really contemplated it before. It's what he had learned, how he had grown up to be. It wasn't until he met Katia that he mulled over where his choices -and not-, all the events in his life had brought him.

What 47 was, in an extent, was mostly not his choice. But once over with the ICA, what life would he lead? He could disappear, be anything he wanted. He wondered what it would be like to live a normal life, free of death and loneliness and running away. Wondered if that's what Katia wanted. To settle down. 

And then, her words came to his mind again. 

_"We're one and the same."_

No. Katia was no cold-blooded killer like he was. She was so much more different than him. True, she'd killed a few people tonight, but only as self defense, it was her life or theirs. For him, that wasn't the case. No, she was from a completely different world...

Except, essentially, she wasn't. They were the same, genetically. Yes, they had been raised differently. She may have stood luckier, may have grown up in relative normalcy, compared to him, but still, in her he could see parts of himself. 

Like him, Katia felt alone, that much he could see. She had been through so much during the past few days, her life at risk more times than he could count. She had just found her father, whom she had spent half her life searching for, only to lose him again. She had no one else. But him, as she'd told him earlier.

But, like him, she was also tough, intelligent, resourceful, persistent. And she was simultaneously everything he wasn't. Kind, caring, compassionate, gentle. She was the light to his darkness and vice versa. 

_"We're one and the same."_

_Two sides of the same coin._

And, like him, she'd now be hunted down in order to be eliminated. He had to put an end to this. He couldn't risk her life again, couldn't lose her.

Absorbed in his troubling thoughts, 47 was startled when Katia, in her sleep, turned around and draped one arm over his waist and one leg over his, nuzzling up against his side. Instinctively, he raised his arms from where they were resting crossed over his chest, so as not to accidentally hit her with his elbow. 

47 felt his face warm up. Oh no. That was awkward. How was he supposed to move her now? For a long moment he was unsure of what to do. He heard a soft, content sigh come out of her mouth and, eventually, decided not to disturb her. She needed as much sleep as she could get, after all.

Hesitantly, he let his hand rest on her bare shoulder. She was cold to the touch, which explained a lot about her current position. She must have been too cold and, subconsciously, her body sought out warmth, thus ending up in his arms.

He let out a tired sigh, once again pulling the blankets over them, bringing them to cover Katia up to her head, leaving out her face so she could breathe.

47 studied her for while, gently removing a stray strand of hair covering her eyes. She was really very beautiful. Her sleeping face looked so calm, so peaceful under the soft warm light the bedside lamp provided.

Watching her, he smiled to himself. It wasn't normal of him to, but he found her utterly adorable, cocooned into the blankets as she was.

Fearing she would wake, he turned the light off and, in the quiet darkness, he closed his eyes, once again attempting to fall asleep. Exhaustion, combined with the heat radiating from Katia's body and the sound of her soft, even breathing calmed him down enough so that finally, after a long night, 47 was lulled into a deep, restful sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after reading the previous chapter, I'm sure you thought "Can her ass get any more corny?" Well, apparently, it can, lol. I love me some good cliches, I only hope I did them justice!
> 
> This took me so long to write, honestly. I was completely blocked for quite a while cause I wanted this chapter to not only be about bonding, but also to get a glimpse of what's happening into 47's mind cause I feel like the movie doesn't show us enough. We don't get much screen time of two either, wasted potential, so to speak. Katia is a very interesting character. I could honestly use a sequel. 
> 
> Also, in my defense, besides the movie, I'm not at all familiar with 47. I didn't even know he was based on a video game character until I did my research to better understand him for my writing purposes. 
> 
> Anyway, if any of you are familiar with 47, have played the games etc, please let me know if he's into character, in your opinion. If you're not, also please let me know your opinion. Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome and appreciated.
> 
> P.S: About the story, I'm not going to be continuing it. But, I was thinking of it being the first part of a series which follows 47 and Katia in various stages of their relationship and life together. I've even come up with an idea about how they'll get away from the ICA. Would you like to read something like that? If yes, don't be shy to let me know! (And yes, "thrice" is a real word. I've done my homework >.<)
> 
> xoxo
> 
> -M.C


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